CHILDREN got up close with four-legged crime-fighters when members of GMP's Mounted Unit visited a school.

Two horses, Viz and Steele, were welcomed to Gaskell Community Primary School in Thomas Holden Street, Bolton.

Pupils had the chance to pat, feed and admire the animals and speak to riders PC Paul Hodgkinson and PC Sarah Fitzpatrick on Friday.

Sergeant Jon Seeds, of the Bolton central and Halliwell neighbourhood policing team, explained: "The mounted unit are based in Bolton for the next two months and they will be patrolling the town’s hot spots for crime and anti-social behaviour.

"They will be supporting the partnership operation Safe4summer, which is based on keeping our young people out of trouble and away from danger.

"A large part of the Safe4summer is about getting the message to our children in young people at the schools and colleges before they break up for the summer.

"Mounted officers are more approachable and less threatening and young people enjoy interacting with them.

"Even the most hard to reach young person will engage when a mounted officer is involved and this gives us the opportunity to get our messages out."

Emily Kirk, headteacher at the school said the visit helped the children boost their confidence around horses.

She said: "It gave the children the chance to get close to the police horses, stroking them which helped their confidence around the animals.

"As a school we have a close working relationship with our PCSOs and we were delighted when they arranged for the horses to visit our summer fair.

"The children and their parents all enjoyed talking to the officers about their role and the importance of the job."